​Running is a low cost sport. Decent shoes, perhaps a GPS watch, comfortable threads and time is all you need to partake. Running in New Zealand is great – fresh air, heaps of interesting route and a large community of like-minded individuals who run to run Marathons or Half Marathons around the country. It’s the perfect way to spend your time meaningfully.

If you want validation of your efforts or a goal it’s great to train towards a race. When this goal is achieved and you get the bug you just want to do more – this is where it starts getting a little expensive.

I want to do more Half Marathons and I started reviewing the options. I was surprised to discover the variance in prices between Half Marathon events around the country. I understand that overhead costs vary for each location and event, however charging upwards of $70 per event makes it unaffordable for your average person, particularly if the event has a major sponsor, a crap sample pack and no medal. Travel and accommodation costs should also be factored in, as should the leave days required to travel to a venue to run in a new race.

As an example – in order to compete in the Waiheke Half Marathon I need to take leave days from my job, fly up to Auckland, commute into the CBD, ferry over to Waiheke, pay for accommodation on the island and then pay almost $100 for the privilege of participating. The Waiheke Half Marathon is the 5th most expensive event on the data below.

I am not saying that I will not participate in an event because of its cost. I am, however, unlikely to participate in the Half Marathon event more than once if it is too cost prohibitive. I realise I have a pragmatic approach to this but I want value in exchange for my investment of time, money and effort.

The following list is a random snapshot of the standard entry fees for Half Marathons around the North and South islands of New Zealand. The list is not complete, some items are missing because 2018 registration is not yet open.

I am not drawing any conclusions on this snapshot of random data however it does make for interesting reading. This list is sorted by the half marathon entry fee:

The following is excerpted from an interview with me for accepted submissions to the annual calendar. These photos are also used for the desktop wallpaper for all workstations world- wide. These images her to visually represent the company purpose and work; they also permit employees to get to know each other better.

The photo was taken with a Sony A33.

​How did you become part of the MWH team?

Chris van der Leer: ​I left Cape Town in the 1990s on my Overseas Experience (OE). I passed through London, Europe and the Channel Islands and I eventually ended up in Christchurch, New Zealand. Knowing that a balanced life is important, I am mindful of my values in my career. I therefore wanted to work for an entity which contributes to society in a positive way; this company seemed like the obvious choice

​What is your role at MWH and how long have you worked here?

Chris van der Leer: ​​As IT Project Controls Specialist, my primary purpose is to bring value to projects and to the project management process within our global IT department. I contribute on a diverse range of projects which impact employees in all global locations.

​What inspired you to take the photo selected for the calendar?

Chris van der Leer: ​​When growing up in Africa, I always wanted to experience an earthquake and a volcano - indeed I never thought that I would have either of these experiences. Suffice to say my Christchurch colleagues and I have experienced enough quakes to last anybody a lifetime.

This photo is of the Christchurch skyline and is taken from our office. The rising sun represents a new dawn for the city, our company and for us as individuals. We see this view every day I wanted to share this experience with you all.

​If you could go anywhere in the world to take photos where would you go? Why?

Chris van der Leer: ​​I have two places in mind: I would visit Prague, the city of a thousand spires. The history, color and culture would be awesome to capture.

I would also like to visit Lake Tekapo International Dark Sky Reserve - the isolation, lack of light pollution and flat plains provide beautiful clear skies that offer unparalleled views of the stars and planets - great for star photography.

​What do the photos you take say about you as a person?

Chris van der Leer: ​​I believe it is important to view things for what they are, allowing our personal experiences to shape the vision of the future. I don't manipulate photos - therefore my images exhibit life exactly as it is in the moment the shutter closes.

​What does the Stantec purpose design with community in mind mean to you?

Chris van der Leer: ​​The effects of urbanization are occurring in every city in every country, the obvious solution to this phenomenon is to make our cities more sustainable. This starts with designing infrastructure suited to the growing needs of our communities – infrastructure which encourages individuals to be healthy and safe in a sustainable way.

​Tan Son Nhat International (Ho Chi Minh City) take off

Tan Son Nhat International Airport (IATA: SGN, ICAO: VVTS), is the largest airport in Vietnam. It is located 4 mi (6 km) north of the center (District 1) of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Tan Son Nhat International Airport operates from two terminal buildings – Domestic Terminal 1 and International Terminal 2. The new international terminal opened in September 2007 with the capacity of 8 to 10 million passengers per year, giving the airport a total capacity of 15-17 million passengers per year.

​Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) landing

​Noi Bai International Airport (IATA: HAN, ICAO: VVNB), the biggest airport in northern Vietnam, serves the capital city of Hanoi. The airport is located 45 kilometers from the city center.

A new International Terminal 2 opened at the end of 2014. The new terminal offers 96 check-in counters, ten self-service kiosks, 17 boarding gates and 283 flight information display systems. Domestic flights now operate from Terminal 1.

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